[ Reviewed by eXodus ]

Shaun [Kona] Ross is quickly becoming one of the most prolific authors out there. With his latest, the 3rd map in the Mel Soaring series (the first can be found here and the second here), he returns to Q2 editing and provides a gorgeous new map for everyone to enjoy, with the lengthy title Mel Soaring 3: Tomb of the Makron God.

 

After almost releasing this one for Half-Life, Shaun decided to port it to Q2 due to the lack of good singleplayer enemies in HL. I must say I'm glad he did. The resulting creation is simply a treat to behold.

 

I suppose I should tackle gameplay before launching into my adjective-laden visual speech. =) Shaun focuses on pure action in MS3. There are a couple objectives to accomplish, but they take a backseat to true fragging pleasure in a beautiful environment. All the standard devices of destruction are here, and there's definitely no shortage of Strogg for you to plow through with your Railgun or Chaingun. On the whole, I thought the level was very well balanced, as I always had plenty of ammo but still had to be careful and watch my health level. Very nicely done.

 

OK, now I get to rave about the visuals! In a word: stunning. You really have to play through this one to get a feel for how great it looks, the screenshots just don't do the map justice. I have to admit I skipped playing this on my older computer and went straight to 1024x768 resolution on my TNT. Wow...

 

As you can tell, a plethora of new textures are used on the majority of surfaces in the level. A couple new ambient sounds are thrown in as well and the result is a wonderfully atmospheric experience. You won't be disappointed by how this map looks.

 

Really my only complaint is the abrupt ending. I was so into the level that the quick ending with no real climax was a bit of a letdown. Perhaps some earthquakes, explosions, or maybe an escape that was timed to increase tension would have been in order?

 

Mel Soaring 3 is definitely an enjoyable map on its own, though the end result would have been much more satisfying with a better ending. Still, if you want some great-looking visuals and good action, you shouldn't miss this one.